Labour's emphasis on tackling the energy efficiency of our homes is a positive step forward in the battle against climate change. However, instead of a delivery plan all we received in March was yet another strategy paper and another consultation on EPCs. 

The fact is Labour is bereft of vision and ability to deliver energy efficient homes. All we have had in 13 years is dithering, broken promises and £ hundred of millions of taxpayers' money, wasted. It is a story of failure on a massive scale:   

•  Failed communication strategy. After spending an estimated £400 million of taxpayers' money, still more than 15 million homeowners are unaware about insulation and confused as to where to go for advice and help.
• Duplicated work and costs. Government departments and quangos responsible for housing and the environment have wasted £ millions on projects that haven't worked and on hundreds of consultations, research reports, workshops and focus groups.
• Four million homeowners forced to pay £250 million for EPCs have received little or no advice on them. To most, it seems Government has simply taken their money and abandoned them and in any other sector, it would be regarded as a scam. As a result, through no fault of their own, most homeowners now wrongly regard EPCs as an additional, unwanted, moving cost - and a stealth tax by Government.
• Labour's deliberating and dithering and the stop start of CERT has resulted in more than a quarter of staff at insulation companies being idle and at current volumes the target to insulate all cavities and lofts by 2015 will not be achieved. Over seven million homes still require solid wall insulation. Only 20,000 are currently being insulated per year.
•  Disengaged home selling, buying and renting supply chain because Labour has made no attempt to ask for their help in promote energy efficiency and alienated them over Home Information Packs.
• Disengaged consumer facing organisations such as retailers, banks and building societies at a time when the energy efficiency industry needs their help. As a result, the innovation, diversity and competition that such organisations could provide to stimulate growth in 'green' services has simply not happened.
• Disengaged local authorities despite Labour saying they will lead the delivery of energy efficient homes. Most councils only have an interest in improving social housing not private housing and given the need to cut back public spending, where are Councils going to get the money from?
• 10,000 Domestic Energy Assessors and Home Inspectors conned into believing they would have good career prospects. Home Energy Advisers next? 

The fact is that after 13 years of Labour, there is still no clear vision. No joined up thinking. No coherent strategy. No delivery plan. Insufficient buy-in from the private sector and councils.  Insufficient market led solutions. Insufficient consumer incentives and insufficient account taken of commercial realities. 

                                                                            We cannot go on like this. Change is desperately needed.

The UK's taxpayers' including 26 million homeowners and 10 million tenants need to know how Labour has squandered their money and if re-elected, that there is a risk they will continue to do so. Over the next few weeks, I will therefore be writing about subjects such as:         

• Energy Savings Trust's failed communication strategy
• Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes jamboree for consultants
• The £250 million EPC scandal
• The need for mergers of environmental quangos
• Why PAYS will not work but the Green Deal, could
• Why Councils will not be able to deliver energy efficient homes
• why engagement of the private sector is key to creating energy efficient homes.  

I hope the forthcoming articles will be of interest and that the next Government will deliver what is needed for the sake of homeowners, tenants and the environment.